Ordnance



A. T. DAWSON AND J. HORNE.

ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 4, 1920.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

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ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, OF WESTHIINSTER, LONDON, AND JAMES HORNE, 01? BARROW-IN-FUBNESS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIXEITED, OF WEST.

MINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

ORDNANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR TREVOR DAwsoN, Bart, and JAMES HORNE, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing, respectively. at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, and Naval Construction orks, Barrow-in-Furness, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Ordnance, of which the following -is a specification,

for which we have filed application in reat Britain ai -20,492, filed August 20, 1919).

This invention relates to ordnance and has for its object to devise improved means for applying graphite or other suitable substance of a similar nature to the bore of the gun soas to minimize erosion during firing and thereby prolong the efiective life of the gun.

According to this invention the said improved means comprise a spraying or similar device which is so constructed and arranged as to enable the graphite or similar substance to be readily applied to the portions of the bore that are most liable to the erosive action, this device including a container for the graphite (which is in powder form either dry or mixed with water, oil, or other liquid) and a nozzle (herein termed the air nozzle) operating on the injector principle bymeans of air under pressure. The air under pressure may also be admitted to the upper part of the container to exert pressure on the graphite so as to cause the latter to be forced through an opening contiguous to the air nozzle and a control valve for regulating and cutting oif the air supply may also serve to admit air to and cut it off from the container, the arrangement being such that when the supply of air to the air nozzle is cut off air will be prevented from entering the container; the container can therefore readily be recharged or replenished with graphite through a hole normally closed by a plug. The aforesaid air nozzle may be made axially movable and normally held on a seat by a spring and may be moved mechanically to its operative position by a trigger, handle or other device employed for operating the rontrol valve in which case we are able to insure that the extent to which the nozzle is moved shall be in proportion to the volume of air admitted to the nozzle.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the breech end of a gun showing diagrammatically the spraying device in the spraying position.

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a vertical longitudinal section and a rear elevation showing the spraying device of Fig. 1 on an enlar 'ed scale, and

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 2 and drawn to a larger scale.

A is the graphite container of the spray ing device, B is the air nozzle and C is the spraying nozzle. D is the supply pipe or conduit conveying air under pressureto the container and to the air nozzle, E is the control valve for this air supply and F is the trigger or handle for operating this valve.

In the form of the spraying device shown the container A, the air nozzle B, the control valve E and their associated parts are arranged at the rear end of a long tube G and the spraying nozzle 0 is arranged at the front end of this tube which is inserted into the interior of the gun from the breech end, supports being provided (preferably, as shown, in the form of pairs of feet 0 G on a sleeve C surroundingthe tube) for enabling the tube to be arranged centrally within the gun. The rear pair of feet (viz, those close to the container A) rest on a loading tray O whose rear end is attached to a bracket (part of which is shown at G in Fig. 1) carried by a suitable part. The control valve E is arranged between the supply conduit D and two passages A and B formedin the wall of the container A. The passage A leads to the interior of the container at the upper part thereof and'is pro- 'vided with a regulating cock A and the passage B leads to a hole in which the air nozzle B is slidably mounted, the air entering the bore of the nozzle through small transverse holes therein, The valve E and the air nozzle B are controlled by springs which normally hold the valve on its seating and the nozzle in the position shown in which it closes a passage A leading from the lower part of the container A to the tube C. The trigger F is pivoted at F to the wall of the container and has a lateral projection f bearing against the stem of the valve E and the nozzle B has a short sleeve B connected thereto this sleeve carrying a pin 7" engaging in a hole in the trigger F; the nozzle B and the valve E are thus moved simulta neously (though to different extents against the resistance ot'their springs when the trigger is pulled, this being the arrangement whereby it is insured that the extent to which the nozzle moves shall be in proportion to the volume of air admitted to the nozzle as hereinbetore stated. The pulling of the trig ger causes the valve E to be moved off its seat to admit air under pressure to the upper part of the container and to the bore of the nozzle B and also causes the passage A to be uncovered so thatthe graphite can be forced through this passage by the pressure of the air in the container and he then impelled through the tube C and the spraying nozzle C by the injector action of the air issuing from the nozzle B. The nozzle C may be of any desired form, one having a rotary action being-preferable. 'G is a filling plug in the upper part of the container and H is a paddle mixer for the graphite.

It will be observed that in the construction above described the complete spraying device forms a removable unit which is not connectto a position close to that occupied by the rear part of the projectile when the latter is in position in the gun.

Vhat we claim and desire to secure by nozzle, and means for simultaneously moving said nozzle to its operative position and said valve to its position to admit pressure fluid to saidnozzle.

2. For use with ordnance, a device for spraying a substance into the bore oithe gun, this device comprisingin combination a container for said substance and a nozzle operating on theinjector principle by means of fluid under pressure, a valve for controlling the supply of pressure fluid to said nozzle and a device for mechanically moving said nozzle to itsoperative position and at the same time moving said valve to its posi tion to admit pressure fluid to said'nozzle.

3. For use with ordnance, a device for spraying a substance into the bore of the gun, said device comprising in combination with the elements claimed in claim 1, a long tube carrying the container for the said substance at one end, a spraying nozzle carried at the other end of said tube and means for sup porting said tube Within the bore of the gun.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. JAMES HORNE. 

